Delhi's Fee Regulation Act: Balancing Education Rights and Profiteering

The Delhi government's new fee regulation aims to stop profiteering in private schools, challenged by several schools in court. The Act aligns with the National Education Policy, 2020 and ensures fair access to quality education while allowing schools to set fees within reasonable bounds.

The Delhi government's new fee regulation law for private schools, the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, has stirred controversy. The Act, which the government argues aligns with the National Education Policy, 2020, aims to curb profiteering while maintaining schools' power to set fees within a fair framework.

However, numerous private schools, represented by associations like the Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools, have filed petitions against the law, deeming it arbitrary and challenging their fundamental rights. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for April before a bench led by Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya.

The Directorate of Education asserts that the Act does not infringe on minority institutions' rights to administer their schools, only limiting the right to mismanage. Over 85% of schools have complied with the Act, showing a broad acceptance of the new regulations aimed at making education accessible to all socioeconomic classes.

(With inputs from agencies.)